Consumer Activism on the Internet: the Role of Anti-Brand Communities

Candice R. Hollenbeck, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia George M. Zinkhan, Coca-Cola Company Chair of Marketing at the University of Georgia

Consumer Activism on the Internet: The Role of Anti-brand Communities

Candice R. Hollenbeck, University of Georgia

George M. Zinkhan, University of Georgia

As a backlash against capitalism, there is a growing resistance to transnational brands and corporate globalization.The purpose of this study is to investigate the current anti-brand social movement by examining consumer activist groups on the Internet.We identified three anti-brand websites for in-depth analysis: anti-Wal-Mart, anti-McDonald’s, and anti-Starbuck’s.Based on 36 interviews and a two-year examination of anti-brand communities, we provide an understanding of why online anti-brand communities form, we explore the behavioral manifestations of such movements, and we discuss technological influences.